Drying stick



machines,

ISO

Patented sept. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRYING STICK Application May 26, 1933, Serial No. 672,949

1 Claim.

This invention relates to metal sticks or laths for hanging or other drying or coating machines.

Sticks or laths of wood have generally been used to support the goods in drying or coating Wood sticks due to warpage will frequently jam in the stick feeding mechanism from the hopper or magazine. Such failure of the stick to be properly fed permits the goods dropping or `falling from the carrying apparatus. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a metal lath or stick that will not warp.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a metal lath or stick that will not become jammed and of such construction that it may be readily fed by the feeding apparatus.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a metal lath or stick that will have a single maximum diameter throughout the body portion and ends.

A still further Object of the invention is to provide a metal lath or stick that will have reinforced ends where the wear and stress is greatest.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of metal lath or stick embodying the principles of my invention having the major portion of the body portion broken out.

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 2, 2, of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of Figure 2 along the line 3, 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional View of Figure 2 along the line 4, 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In carrying out my invention I propose to pref erably provide a hollow metal lath I which may be made of any desirable metal and may be coated or enameled as required. The ends Ib and Ic of stick I are each flattened on two sides, The excess material is folded internally midway of each flattened side forming reinforcing elements 2. The remaining two sides may have the original contour and original diameter as shown in the drawing or may be flattened if desired. It should be noted that in my structure the diam- 5 eter of body portion of stick I is the maximum diameter or maximum length of the flattened end portions. In other Words, the distance across corners of the end portions Ib, Ic of the stick or lath I does not exceed the diameter of the cylindrical or main body of the lath. Ihis prevents building up or accumulating of the laths or sticks in the feeding through the magazines or hoppers since the distance from the point of discharge from the lath or stick to the feeding of the maga- Zines or hopper is a multiple of the diameter of the body of the lath so that any increased distance across the corners of the flattened portion of the lath will increase the separation of the laths or sticks I and destroy the functioning of the feeding apparatus causing the same to jam. The flattened ends permit the stick to hold steadier on the chains and the folded in walls forming elements 2 act as a reinforcing portion to strengthen the ends of stick I. The stick may be manufactured from any form of metal and may be made first in the form of hollow tubing and the ends then flattened or it may be formed in any Well known manner initially in the structure herein indicated.

What I claim is: A metal lath for hanging, drying, coating machines and the like, having a body portion of cylindrical metal tubing terminating in two end portions, said end portions having two straight sides and two semi-cylindrical sides, said flat sides having internal folds of the material to provide reenforcing of the flat sides and to take up the excess material to maintain the distance across corners of the flat ends the same diameter as the cylindrical portion of the lath.

JOHN RYER DUNHAM. 

